Robert MacGillivray

[philcom55]

Looking at the dates on these last few examples it's pretty startling to see how many pages Robert MacGillivray seemed to be producing in 1963. As far as I can tell the first 40 issues of Diana all featured his work, with him drawing as many as four pages for some of them - all at the same time he was working on strips like 'Maypole' for Fleetway's School Friend. Given some of DC Thomson's editors' reluctance to carry two strips by the same artist at any one time this makes me wonder if I could have misattributed any of the above series - though I really don't think I have.

Either way, MacGillivray's work for Thomson's seemed to suddenly dry up following 23rd November when his final Diana series came to an end. This was 'A Medal For Maureen' and, as can be seen from the opening episode shown below, it gave him a rare opportunity to combine a schoolgirl sporting theme with the rather more violent boys' adventure style he'd specialized in during the 1950s:





I could be wrong but I'm assuming that Robert's abrupt departure from Diana coincided pretty closely with the start of his long run on 'Lucky's Living Doll' for Fleetway (it'd be interesting to know if DavidKW or anyone else can confirm this). If so one can't help wondering what kind of threats and incentives might have lain behind this curious coincidence.

- Phil Rushton

(Incidentally I originally thought that 'leet' must be a misprint for 'list', but as the term is used more than once it doesn't seem as though it can be. Has anybody ever come across this odd word before? )

[RuthB]

I asked the other day who did the first Maisie's Magic Eye and all the time I already had the answers in my notes: It was first drawn by tom Hurst and later on by Cesar Spadari before MacGillivray took over.

[philcom55]

Thanks Ruth. Presumably this must be the Spadari version:



It's remarkable how a familiar character can look so different when drawn by another artist!

Incidentally I've just noticed that Robert MacGillivray's entry in the General Register of Births and Deaths was referenced by another poster on this forum some time ago:

Have just found out (via the general register of births, marriages and deaths) that Robert Robertson MacGillivray (b1913) died in July 1986 in Bromley, Kent.

- Phil R.

[RuthB]

Oh, I had no clue there was such a register available!! I will look up for it and check other names, then!
It happens de same with Andrew Wilson, no much info!! There used to be an article in Wikipedia two or three years ago and another on his script writer for the Happy Days, Jenny Butterworth, but they dissapeared!!!

[philcom55]

The trouble with finding an entry for Andrew Wilson is that there would probably be lots of people with such a common name. By contrast the MacGillivray dates sound pretty reliable - especially as his name was sometimes given as R. R. MacGillivray.

Incidentally, the Maisie episode shown above was the last to be printed before Robert took over the series. Here's his very first installment as it appeared the following week:



At this time he would have still been drawing 'Lucky's Living Doll' for June & School Friend as well, marking him out as one of Fleetway's most popular and valuable artists as the 1970s began.

- Phil Rushton

(By the way, does anybody really believe that line about 'not realizing my brooch was glowing' every time Maisie humiliates poor old Nora??? )

[RuthB]

Is that register available online? I have been looking and only found this one: http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ which is not help. I can't see a search help there!

[philcom55]

I'm afraid I'm as bemused as you about accessing the online records Ruth. Maybe someone else can enlighten us?

- Phil R.

[philcom55]

Here's the opening of one of MacGillivray's three-page 'storyteller' strips that appeared in June & School Friend during October 1970:



The fact that he also contributed two pages of 'Lucky's Living Doll' to the same issue as well as drawing that week's episode of 'Maisie's Magic Eye' for Sally just goes to show how busy he was being kept by Fleetway at the point when it was swallowed up by IPC - as well as being a testament to his remarkable productivity.

- Phil Rushton

[philcom55]

(* Incidentally, for all the linguists out there I've checked on the word 'leet' and, while it clearly derives from an obsolete term for courts of record that were held by certain lords of the manor, it has apparently survived in Scotland to mean a 'selected list of candidates' - particularly in the sense of a 'short list'. So much for all those people who insist that reading comics can't be educational! )

[matrix]

He also did this 'Uncle Lionel's' story, mentioned before. Who does Julie look like?

[philcom55]

Great stuff Matrix. As a matter of interest you can see the cover for that story's original appearance in the Princess Picture Library via this link:

http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-ima ... ar%20Chase

- Phil R.

[philcom55]

It's amazing what turns up when you go looking for MacGillivray artwork. While I'd initially assumed that he turned his back on DC Thomson at the end of 1963 and didn't return until the mid-1970s, I've just discovered this obscure Bunty series from 1965:



I could be wrong but it looks very much like his work - which means that it must have been produced well into his run on Lucky's Living Doll for Fleetway. This implies that any speculation about him handing in his notice or being sacked is entirely fanciful. Presumably he believed in keeping his eggs in as many baskets as possible!

- Phil Rushton

[DavidKW]

I never knew that MacGillivray worked for both IPC & DCT at the same time! Thanks for that info.

I think "Lucky's Living Doll" started sometime in late October/November 1963 in Schoolfriend. I once browsed through a SF from Oct 63 with "Maypole" in it; I have a Dec 63 SF - week before Xmas - & LLD is now up & running & already into its first Xmas outing (probably penultimate episode - would love to see all of this one).

One theory is it's quite possible that Rob MacG was working as a freelance artist, but when IPC/SF editor saw the potential for LLD to run long-term (which it did & should've been even longer), he was promptly signed on a proper good-money contract.

Perhaps SF were looking for strips that could be regulars & run for a long time, perhaps to compete with their rivals, most notable June.

[DavidKW]

By the sound of it, money talked with Rob MacG in the late 70s over his defection to DCT.

I do notice that when back at DCT, he was able to do more of the surreal stories with upbeat endings which he had not been able to do as much of in his last years at IPC since Lucky's Living Doll's cancellation in 1974.

Surrealism that didn't fit with the depressing angst stories of Tammy/Jinty (sorry to say that).

[DavidKW]

It's remarkable how a familiar character can look so different when drawn by another artist!

I agree - true of most strips any time.

Particular relevant case - in the final 82 June annual there are new Lucky's Living Doll strips not drawn by Robert MacGilivray (don't know by who).

Sadly art is bland & without warmth though artist tries hard to recreate it.

Still it's a curates egg of what might've been - I think artist may have tried to draw Lucky Smith as more mature than when last seen - complete with early 80s hair & fashions. Her & Tina's personalities slightly altered.